The Day History Stopped Repeating Itself

From recent podium placer and friend of the DDCX HQ, Kate  L is organising a female-only CX skills session :


"Hi all - I hope you can join us next Sunday for a run through some cross basics in preparation for round 2 of Dirty Deeds Urban Cyclocross.

Cyclocross skills session - Sunday 3rd of July

10.30 - 12.00 at Darebin Parklands - meet at the Ranger Station 

Running through dismounts and remounts, barrier jumping, hill running and anything else you would like to focus on.

We will finish up with a short mock race for the giggles. 
Nik and Blakey will be on hand to give technical pointers.

Bring any bike - cross ready or not. 

Please pass on to anyone I have forgotten or any of your friends may be interested. 

Hope to see you there, 

Kate. 


This is likely to be a lot of fun and as they say in the classics... 'practice makes perfect'. If you are interested, contact Kate through her email address above.

Wait. Wait A Minute.

I swear, these are the last photos from DDCX#1. Our good friend Andy at Fame + Spear took them though, so we made a special exception for him.

And I'm Not Afraid Of My.

The Videos keep coming in. This rules! Especially the part where Heavy Metal James gets his ass smacked.

Dirty Deeds Urban Cyclocross Round 1 from Kathryn Feldmaier on Vimeo.

Also, a few write-ups have started to appear. As someone who is obviously fond of the written word, I'm totally keen on reading these. Post your links below.

Recognize.

Taking out first place in the Women’s Cross category in round one of Dirty Deeds Urban Cyclocross, Emma Caddy has set the standard for the coming races. Her stamina towards the end of the race proved too much for the rest of the field.


The apprentice bike mechanic raced a single speed mountain bike in last years open events and has used the time in between to build herself a cyclocross bike. She has put a lot of love into the bike, building it up from a new frame and fork and recycled parts from Born Again Cycles. “It's black and blue, so I call it "little Bruiser' like my hip, bottom and knee after last years Dirty Deeds final race, when I crashed on the velodrome bad on a bald rear tyre”.

Quite new to cycle racing, Emma saw cyclocross as a way to get involved. “I've wanted to race all my life. I'd seen cyclocross bikes around and thought they looked great”. Her first race was at the Warburton Cyclefest Cyclocross last year. The chance to race in inner Melbourne in the Dirty Deeds series was another big draw for Emma.

A keen cyclist, Emma uses her commute to St Kilda Cycles as an opportunity to work on her fitness. She also heads out to parks around Melbourne to practice jumping over stuff (a good tip for anyone I think - I have heard others say they will randomly jump on and off their bike on the way to work in preparation for cross races!).

Emma will definitely be in attendance at the next race on July 17th at Jackson Reserve, Coburg North.

Where's My Time?

Brunswick Cycle Club 2011 from Aaron Maguire Productions on Vimeo.

I Will Not Misplace Priorities.

I knew someone had a video interview with our Round #1 winners! Featuring Sean "The Man" Hurley's interjections...

That Slowdance Didn't Last Really Long

Still on a high from Sunday's mud-filled riding?
Got some frequent flyer kms or a friend you haven't seen for a while?
Just 'cross-crazy (you aren't alone)?

Why not book a ticket for Brisbane?

This just in from a northern brethren:

Ipswich Cycling Club and Exact Radiology are excited to announce that Cyclocross is back in SEQ for 2011. We're at the same great venue, and we'll have the great atmosphere, frites, cheap beer, cowbells and challenging course you enjoyed last year. The course has been tweaked a little to improve the race for competitors and spectators.


Enter now ! - its cheaper than entering on the day ; )

Our CFO A.Blake went up last year and came home full of stories of tropical race conditions, stair climbs, deceptive grass turns and a high fun factor...

Do yourself a favour!

I'm Not Going To Try And Tell You That I'm Different From All The Rest.

Eleanor, pictured above, is one of our long time favourites here at Dirty Deeds, and she's on to something good here. If you're a girl, and you've ever ridden one of our events, you should get in touch with her.

This Little Light Of Mine.

Ok, so for me this one photo nicely encompasses why we have a kid's race. There's the kid, obviously stoked to pieces, riding like he's about to get grounded and loving the hell out of it, and in the background there's a handful of dads, carefully watching as their offspring get muddy as hell. Apparently this kid - whose mum is a supporter of the series - wrote a sweet story about the race, and I'm doing what I can to get a hold of it so I can post it up here. I hope it's in crayon. I really, really do.

Prove It To Me Now.

Another sweet video has popped up, and this one has epic slow-motion sequences. I'd recommend listening with the sound down, however.

We Could Have Had It All.

Sure, I listen to Adele sometimes, what's your problem?

Here's some of the best video of a Dirty Deeds race yet, courtesy once again of Jimmy Maebus.

Do You Feel Alright?

I forgot to include this! Dirty Deeds favourite and Hell Krew founding member James Kent, stoically accepting his fate.

My Heart Still Hurts From Last Night.

Reigning Champion Lewis Rattray has taken out the first round of the Dirty Deeds Urban Cyclocross Series in an impressive display of skills and raw power.

In a field chock-full of cycling talent, including former Australian Road Race Champion Alan Iacone and Mountain Bike World Cup representative Andy Blair, Rattray hit the front from the first lap and did not put a dismount wrong for the next forty minutes, lapping nearly the entire field in the process.

With Rattray’s devastating skills in the mudpit, over the barriers and across the grass in full effect, a chase group consisting of Iacone, Blair, Daniel McMunn and former Dirty Deeds race winners Mat Gray and Jeremy Soawyer banded together to attempt to drag Rattray back into the field. This was to no avail, however, and by the third lap this group had begun to fall to pieces as the mammoth task took its toll. A considerable time after Rattray crossed the line to take first, Blair came across to take second with Daniel McMunn holding on for third.

Rattray goes into the second round of the series in impressive form, and there will no doubt be considerable discussion regarding how exactly to catch him.

The support races were no less exciting, with Warrack Leach earning a promotion to Elite in the B grade cyclocross race, after a commanding win over Simon Carey, with Thomas Crowler taking out third. The women’s cyclocross category was also hard-fought, with Emma Caddy and Kate Lansell riding neck and neck for the majority of the race, Caddy snatching the win from Lansell at the last moment, with Laura Choong a surprise third place.

In the Open Category – for those without Cyclocross bikes – Merida Flight Centre’s Adrian Jackson made an appearance and swept all before him, leaving spectators to wonder what would have been with a Blair / Jackson battle in the cyclocross category. Cam MacKenzie held on for second place, with Craig Maclean coming home third. And in the Open Women’s category the Trailmix team proved dominant, with Amity McSwann taking a fine win from her teammate Erica Gunner, with Jade Forsyth third.

And, finally, in the Kid’s races, the Trailmix team once again proved there is something in the water out at Lysterfield, with Sam Wilson crossing the line first, ahead of Brunswick Cycling Club’s own Adam Blazevic. Ben Walkerdon took out third.

The next round of the Dirty Deeds Cyclocross Series will take place at Jackson Reserve, Coburg on July 17th.


A lone Unicyclist came down to race on Sunday, and despite concern on the part of the organizers, actually rode most of the course in the Open Category. Chapeau, Unicycle Guy. Photo by Andrew Bell.


As mentioned above, AJ tore everyone a new one in the Open Category, but Cam MacKenzie showed some bitter determination and rapidly shed clothing in order to hold on for third. Photo by Brian Mangano.


Duncan Murray didn't win, but was still totally stoked after battling the mud in the Open Category. Photo by Brian Mangano.


The Women's Open Category was equally hard fought, with Amity McSwann stealing the win away from Erica Gunner, with Jade Forsythe third. That's Amity in the middle, getting some socks and a sticker for her efforts. Photo by Brian Mangano.


For some reason there's a lack of photos of the Kid's Category this time around, but here are the winners. I swear by this time of the evening that kid in the middle had a five o'clock shadow. Photo by Brian Mangano.

While I'm still a little disappointed that no-one has yet brought along a lagerphone, the cowbells were out in abudance, and made one hell of a racket. Those who didn't have cowbells seemed to have raided their kitchens - folks were banging on teapots, saucepans and frypans. Chaz, however, took it up a notch and used an old set of front bike forks, which were surprisingly effective. Photo by Mik Efford, who also rode in the CX B grade, on his own homemade bamboo bike. That's a multi-talented individual right there.

When the Open Category showed a distinct lack of interest in the "Best Dressed" award, I was worried that we wouldn't have anyone to give a bike frame from Larry's Custom Cycles away to by the end of the day. Boy, was I wrong. This guy here not only dressed entirely in white, but was the talk of the hill, pitching first his bike into the mud pit, and then - in the moment you see above - pitching himself. Problem is, he had gone home by presentation time - perhaps to wash off the stench - and I was proven correct. The frame is sitting in the corner of my house right now, looking pretty nice, I gotta say. Photo by Brian Mangano.



See these guys? Come July they're all riding A grade. Sorry Tom! Photo by Brian Mangano

Jeremy Soawyer represented team Hell Krew and battled well to eventually score sixth place. The rest of Hell Krew fared less well, but were nonetheless still banging their heads at the end of the day. I stole this photo off Jeremy's facebook, and have no idea who took it.


Jimmy Maebus, complete with video camera attached to his helmet, attempted to bunnyhop the mud puddle, but fell drastically short. Or perhaps this was his intention - with all the beer / cider / lemonade sprayed on riders throughout the day, it was probably time for some sweet revenge. Photo by Brian Mangano.

Winner Lewis Rattray not only took out first place in the A grade race, but also scored the "HOLESHOT RULZ" award put forth by Sean "The Man" Hurley and Cam MacKenzie. This award was for the first person to complete one lap, and Rattray made himself an extra $60 for his efforts.

Strangely there are no photos yet of the A Grade podium, but I think Mikkeli Godfree of Enduro Magazine took some video, which will definitely be added to the new video page whenever it appears.

Some housekeeping:

For the sake of safety we capped the numbers on the day, and will be doing this again in July. CX A grade will be capped at 60 riders, CX B grade will be capped at 80 and Open will be capped at 100. Kids will remain unlimited, especially if they keep turning up on sweet mini CX bikes like that one kid did on Sunday. We'd like to apologise to anyone who missed out on riding, and would subtly nudge them to turn up earlier on the 17th.

Full results are, of course, available here. We probably got some of them wrong, and we'd also like to apologise for that. I'm not going to tally up the aggregate just yet, because I'm tired, but you can figure it out like this: if you rode, you get a point. If you won, you get an extra five points on top of that. If you came second, an extra three points, and if you came third, you get an extra two. We know that we made a major booboo in the Women's CX category, and will be factoring that into the aggregate.

And finally, we'd once again like to thank the following, without whom this little community would never have been built: Brunswick Cycling Club for their unwavering support, and for providing marshalls, and for dealing with the licences, and for, well, just being the raddest little club in town; Adrian Infanti from Darebin Parklands, who went above and beyond the call of duty, providing us with access, power and water - and then went out and rode in the Open Category. What a champ!; Jen McIntyre for being the most ruthlessly efficient first aid person in the world, even if she only had to tend to one guy all day; Sarah from CSV and Kimberly Morgan from BWK for sitting on the judges table all day; Everyone who sat on the rego desk - one of life's most thankless tasks (until now!); All of our sponsors - again, that's them on the right of this page, go click on the links so we get sweet click-through numbers and then they love us even more; All of the folks who brought down tents, regardless of what they were selling or displaying - it makes us look like a travelling roadshow, or even like Lollapalooza, which totally rules; The Vegan bakesale - I missed you guys; Kipp from CSV for his behind-the-scenes support and for organizing a CX event I might actually get to ride; All of the riders; All of the people who wanted to ride but couldn't get a bike organized in time; All of the people who secretly wanted to ride but didn't because they were nervous or worried or didn't want to get muddy; All of the people who really, really wanted to ride but couldn't because they were too hungover; And finally, everyone who came down to support the event in the best way we know how - by yelling, heckling, handing up beer and lemonade and even a freaking cigarette, clapping, oohing, aahing, sighing, groaning, and occasionally singing and dancing. You guys rule.

Survival Sickness.

Ok, so I know you're all itching to get your hands on those Dirty Deeds round 1 results, but just quietly, I'm buggered. I'm going to bed. If you're lucky, we'll have them for you soon. Check back again tomorrow.

The photos, however, are flowing in already. Check out these, these, these, these, these, these and these to start with! I'm expecting a bunch more still to come, as well as some video. I'm sure that at least one of these will feature you.

Also here and here, though you need to log in to facebook for these albums.

Edit: more pics!

Chop It Up Into Firewood.

A quick word on facilities: while there are toilets at Darebin Parklands, there ain't much else. Fortunately for you, the Beatbox Kitchen burger van will once again be in attendance, so that's your main meal taken care of. And there may be soup on offer, so there's your entree. But what if you want something sweet?

Well, I'm happy to inform you that we may be once again blessed by a vegan bake sale. This is most righteous news.

You'll still have to bring your own beverages though.

There's also not a lot in the way of seating. Last year some intrepid folks brought down picnic blankets, which was a brilliant idea, but fold-out chairs would also provide some respite for weary legs. It's supposed to be relatively mild, so you won't freeze, but an extra layer probably won't hurt.

The good people from Cycleops have jumped on board as sponsors, and as such will be bringing down some trainers for you to warm up and cool down on. They don't sponsor me personally - shame on them! - but I have one of their trainers, and it rules. Apparently their tent is also going to have heating, so it may be the warmest place to be come Sunday.

The course is a lot bigger than the Prologue course was, and as such riders probably won't be able to hear Karl's soundsystem or the hillarious commentary around the back of the course. This is where you come in. Once again, we're depending on you to bring the noise. If you need a list of quality heckles, drop us a line here. We're happy to help.

All The Cops In The Donut Shop Say.

They say that the first race of the Dirty Deeds Urban Cyclocross Series takes place this Sunday! Racing from 1pm at Darebin Parklands. Get there!

UPDATE: Course opens at midday. No earlier! There's going to be lots of racers so practice time will more controlled this year.

Nobody's Darlings

As a special treat we have a guest post from a good friend of DDCXHQ addressing a topic that is important us not only for our series but also for the sport of cycling.

Women’s Cyclocross

The buzz surrounding the Dirty Deeds 2011 season is intensifying. The number of people who came out on a cold winters night to either race or to spectate at the prologue is a clear sign the cyclocross bug has taken hold in Melbourne. And with good reason. Racing your friends through the mud, sand and soggy grass as the noise of the crowd gives way to the roaring pain in your over-worked lungs is quite the experience. The field of competitors for round one is set to be large with a range of skill levels, represented. There will be people in the ‘having a stab’ category who just wish to make it through the race without collapsing in a muddy quagmire, those in the ‘as long as I beat [insert name here]’ category who are out to test their skills and best last years result, and those in the ‘did you see that sweet line I took through the second puddle on the third lap’ folks who have been putting in some serious training to take out a podium spot. This is the beauty of cyclocross, everyone is welcome. Yet at this stage, the women’s category is underrepresented. While this may be indicative of the cycle racing scene in Australia in general, I have been thinking of ways to encourage more women to get out for Dirty Deeds CX race one. I understand that jumping over a barrier into a pit of mud is not for everyone but I have a hunch the only way to encourage more participation is for more women to be seen racing and having a ball.

It seems one of the major barriers is access to a suitable bike. To address this, Commuter Cycles have generously offered to help out anyone with setting up a cross bike as cheaply as possible. No one has taken them up on this offer yet. Which leads me to think there may be a bigger issue here. But rather than get bogged down in whether or not the predominately male racing field is a deterrent for some, I thought I would share with you some writing by women who race cyclocross in North America where women’s cyclocross is taking off. Elite cyclocross racer Maureen Bruno-Roy writes “most of the growth in cyclocross for women is linked to the fun atmosphere and not just the tough athleticism of the competing”. She claims that cyclocross is a ‘gateway’ sport into competitive cycling for many women who might find road racing or mountain biking too intimidating to get into. You can read more about Maureen’s thoughts on women’s cycling here.

Heidi Swift is a freelance writer and photographer who also happens to race cyclocross. She manages to capture the essence of the short, often painful races (she crashes a lot) and why she keeps going back for more. “Cyclocross, at its core, is just a bunch of overgrown kids on adult-sized dirt bikes riding laps through puddles and grass as fast as their lactate threshold will take them. It's a field of peers ready to hammer themselves to death to pip you at the line but just as eager to pat you on the back and congratulate you when the race is over and you've stopped dry heaving long enough to form sentences. It is a spectacle, a challenge, a carnival of pain. But it's more than that. It's a community lashed securely together by our willingness to suffer and then celebrate afterward. It is a welcoming, open-armed throng of cyclists and spectators who are slightly off their respective rockers”. You can read more from Heidi Swift on her various pursuits here (and I highly recommend you do).

My hope? That we can encourage enough women to take part in the Dirty Deeds cyclocross season to warrant a separate category that fosters inclusion as well as a competitive scene. For any women who are perched precariously on the fence, I urge you to have a go and to see what all this fuss is about! If you fall into the ‘I have this bike but am not sure it is suitable’ category, take a look at this article by Commuter Cycles and give them a call. I acknowledge that this is a complex issue with many factors to consider and I welcome open, constructive conversation. If you have any questions, need advice or would like to get in some practice before any of the upcoming events, please email me at katelansell@gmail.com. Hope to see you out on the course!

courtesy: Janet Hill/CXMagazine

Invent A Fire.

Hey, we're pretty flat out here at DDCXHQ right now - really, whose idea was it to have two CX races in two weeks? - but in the meantime, here's a quick look at what the good people at Commuter Cycles are doing. Also explains how you can win a sweet DIY CX bike from them!

Doesn't This Lady Look Surprised.

Hey, after watching Gene bin it again and again and again, the Dirty Deeds Organizing Committee has decided it needs a dedicated first aid officer. If you are at least level 2 qualified and are not intending to race, please hit us up, either here or at dirtydeedscx@gmail.com.

He's Wearing Overalls.

Some random stories to come out of Friday night's escapades:

I spoke briefly to the Schwable Rep, Shane Ford, who told me that in the weeks prior to the prologue Schwable had sold out of CX tyres. That's not just one shop; you could not purchase Schwable CX tyres anywhere in the state. I'm claiming this one.

And secondly, our CSV Liason Officer told me about an interesting phone call the CSV office received on Monday morning. While our licences are provided by CSV, those guys have to then forward them on to Cycling Australia (CA), who work out all the insurance and that stuff. And on Monday morning the folks at CA were a little confused. Y'see, on Friday night we sold around eighty Cyclocross Season Passes, formerly (and formally) known as 3-ride permits. On average CA deals with about twenty 3-ride permits a year. Hence the reason for their confusion. I mean, apparently they were stoked, but still, they needed an explanation.

Speed Away From Human Sorrow.

Thanks Jimmy Maebus for this:

The Shame File.

Could the following riders please return their race number to the
Brunswick Cycling Club as soon as possible. Numbers can be dropped at
DISC on Tuesday night from 6pm, or posted to PO Box 2027 Brunswick
East, VIC 3057.

Yellow Numbers 
12 Nicholas BANK
14 Edward POWELL
65 Damian AUTON

White Numbers 
11 Liam CROWLEY
12 Tom KURKA
24 Andrew SCOTT
26 Jed SOYTAR
43 Horatio BURTON
54 Stu WEIR
58 David CROXFORD
82 Campbell TOWNSEND
84 Chris WILSON
85 Ann GREENWOOD
87 Alex GEERS

Thank You For Being A Friend.

Hey, the good people at Cyclingnews seem to be pretty stoked on Dirty Deeds - I'm beginning to get the impression that they'll put up anything I send them. That theory'll be tested when I send them my "Sam McGregor's Dirty Weekend" interview, but in the meantime, check this out.

A Character To Play.

The 2011 Melbourne Cyclocross Season kicked off in style on Friday night with the Dirty Deeds Urban Cyclocross Prologue taking place in front of a massive crowd at the Harrison Street Velodrome.

Organizers had stated in the weeks leading up to the event that this was no ordinary Cyclocross race, but rather would be a number of events befitting the nature of a prologue. A taste of cyclocross, an hors d'oerve tray of muddy, sandy, grassy action. As such, each rider participated in two short, fast races - the first of which would be a scratch race, and the second of which would be a hastily-prepared handicap. Riders were divided into three categories - those with Cyclocross bikes, those with any other kind of bike, and kids!


Here's Mark Sartorel, aged four, battling his way through the sandpit, when he probably would've preferred to stop and build sandcastles. And that's his dad, who helped him out and occasionally lifted him over the bunting, in order to stop him drowning in the mudpit.


Mark was not the only one tempted to play in the sandpit, however. Local legend Rhino took it upon himself to craft elaborate patterns in the sand, and it was his crafty constructions that wreaked havoc with the riders. It was difficult to maintain a straight line through the pit, and as such it was the site of a number of hilarious incidents.


Liam Jefferies from Trailmix totally dominated the kid's race, winning both the scratch race and the handicap, in the process showing why he is the under 15 national mountain bike champion. For his trouble he scored a total of $15 worth of gift certificates at the Brunswick Cycling Club canteen - that's a hell of a lot of redvines and sesame snaps. I'd like to apologise to Liam's parents for him being a little hyped up on candy last night.

The Open Class scratch race was up next. As per usual, the Open Class featured both wacky bikes and wacky outfits. Here's one J. Vella, braving the near-freezing temperatures and stench from the mudpatch. As there were only 21 competitors in the Open Class, only one race was run, and this was fairly dominated by Stuart Brown (perhaps only because I told Liam Jefferies he couldn't ride with the big boys). Stuart went home with some bar tape and a pair of socks for his trouble.

The CX class was randomly split up into four bunches, each consisting of about twenty-three riders. Competition here was pretty fierce - there was a distinct lack of crazy outfits, and a distinct abundance of fancy bikes with carbon wheels. In the first race defending Dirty Deeds Urban Cyclocross Champion Lewis Rattray proved that he was equally comfortable over a short distance by taking home the biscuits. The second race was a close affair, but was eventually taken out by Footscray Cycling Club's Adam Trewin.

Jeremy Soawyer, pictured above, had been suffering from the flu all week, and was pumped up to the eyeballs full of Sudafed, but still managed to take out the third race; and Alex Meyland, who before this evening had never even thrown a leg over a Cyclocross bike, took out the fourth race with ease.


Around this time the commentary team - pictured above - were approached by the good people at Larry's Custom Cycles, who were keen to announce that they had already chosen a winner of the prize for best dressed.


The prize, however, was quickly renamed by the good folks at Larry's the award "For Most Mud Down Their Buttcrack," and there was no question that this should be taken out by Tate, who won a sweet frame and fork set for his stinky, stinky trouble. Here he is, showing all and sundry why he was so rewarded.


The Open Handicap was up next, and once again the sandpit proved the greatest handicap of all. Here's Ann-Michel, who had spent most of the day helping the Dirty Deeds Team prepare the sand, suffering for her good deeds. In the handicap races riders were asked to stand in the order that they had finished in the scratch race, and as the judges had only taken the top three results, riders were asked to use the honesty system, even if, as our chief commissaire stated, "cheating and lying would probably be quite beneficial."

Riders must've been relatively honest, however, as all night the handicap races threw up unusual winners. The Open Class was no exception: Cam Mackenzie seemed thoroughly bewildered to win, and was more excited to be interviewed after the race.


The Cyclocross Handicaps were closely fought affairs, with backmarkers often ending up on the podium but never able to crack the win. The first race was taken out by Tom Kurka, with Rattray again making a strong dash to the line to clinch third. The second went to Michael Dann, who just held off Adam Trewin - pictured above - to take the prize. The third went to Tristan Baker, with daylight second. And the fourth Cyclocross Handicap was the closest race of the night, with Llewellyn Thomas stealing the win from Troy McKinna right on the line.

As the night drew to an end talk inevitably turned to the next race at Darebin Parklands on June 16th. What would the Dirty Deeds Organizing Team dream up next? Stairs? Ice? A Rope Swing? A Jungle Gym? And, more importantly, would we be able to get the sand out of our drivetrains by then? Fortunately a visit to the Splashdown section - which consisted of a highpressure hose and a gold coin donation to the Brunswick Cycling Club - helped answer the latter question. As they rode off into the night their bikes were mostly clean. It was only their clothes that stank.

Full results too all of the races available here.

And more photos available here, here, here, here, here and here. More coming as they appear. You may need to login to facebook to see some of those sets. I also hope to see some video popping up soon - God knows I saw enough people riding with video cameras.

And finally, here are some more pictures of people jumping over the barriers. What kind of crazy mixed-up sport makes people carry their bikes over things? This is madness!

This Is Your Life.

This looks pretty much perfect for us, but you should probably bring a rain jacket just in case.

You Were Sleeping Off Your Demons, When I Came Home

Adding to the fervor and excitement from Brendan's last few posts (of which I can assure you he is not the only one expectantly awaiting Friday evening) I can let you know that there will be several kind folks manning neutral/pre-ride support tents on the evening.

So if your hastily thrown together hoopty starts backfiring or your race-bred steed needs a shoe change don't be afraid to ask for help. They all know their stuff and will save you bringing your full toolkit with you*

There will also be a few of our sponsors showing off their wares so in the midst of your cheering, heckling and new friend making be sure to see what they have to offer.

*If you are running anything french and it breaks... you are likely on your own!